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  7. Hoshi-kabocha no Egoma-ae (Dried pumpkin dressed with sesame seeds)

Hoshi-kabocha no Egoma-ae (Dried pumpkin dressed with perilla seeds) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Nagano Prefecture

    Hoshi-kabocha no Egoma-ae (Dried pumpkin dressed with perilla seeds)

Hoshi-kabocha no Egoma-ae (Dried pumpkin dressed with perilla seeds)

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  • Main lore areas

    Hokushin Area

  • Main ingredients used

    Pumpkin

  • History/origin/related events

    The region known as Kinasa, also called the "Valley Capital," has a long-standing food culture of drying and preserving vegetables. Surrounded by mountains, the Kinasa region used to be cut off from external transportation when snow accumulated, leading to the practice of drying and preserving food to endure the long winters. Drying vegetables not only changes their taste and texture but also enriches their nutritional content. The act of "drying" is not just about preserving flavor but is also a practical wisdom for efficiently consuming surplus vegetables.
    In spring, wild vegetables like fern shoots (zenmai) and warabi (bracken root) are dried. In summer, eggplants are thinly sliced and dried, resulting in a texture resembling meat when rehydrated. In autumn, various vegetables such as pumpkins and daikon radish are prepared for storage. As the saying goes, "On the Winter Solstice, take care of the pumpkins," as pumpkins, if left as is, may freeze or rot after winter. So, people dry them for winter storage. Pumpkin is cut into strips, spread on wooden boards, and dried until completely dehydrated. When ready to eat, it is washed, boiled, and used in sesame dressing, simmered dishes, or even as a filling for rice cakes.
    After the daikon radishes and leafy vegetables have been harvested, they are bundled with straw and hung under the eaves. Throughout winter, they are left to dry in a well-ventilated, shaded area. When it's time to eat, they are taken down and used in cooking.
    In Nagano Prefecture, there is another drying method that takes advantage of the severe winter cold and dry climate―freeze-drying. Products like agar jelly, frozen mochi, frozen daikon radish, and frozen tofu undergo repeated freezing and thawing in the outdoor air, gradually losing moisture in the dry winter climate. This freeze-drying technique, born out of the harsh winter conditions in Shinshu (Nagano), is truly a culinary culture derived from practical wisdom in daily life.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    It can be eaten at any time of the year. Dried vegetables can be made regardless of the season, but they are often dried during times when a surplus of vegetables is available, such as during the abundant harvest of summer. The dry winter season is optimal for drying vegetables. In the past, it was common to see radishes hanging under the eaves or vegetables laid out on bamboo sieves in gardens, drying in the open air.

  • How to eat

    Pumpkin is thinly sliced into strip-like pieces, and it takes about two days in good weather to dry. Toasted perilla seeds are ground using a mortar, gradually loosening the mixture with lukewarm water. The dried pumpkin is mixed with the ground perilla. Dried pumpkin can also be sweetly simmered and eaten.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    It is still made in households today. Depending on the type of vegetables, dried vegetables can be obtained at supermarkets, farmers' markets, and other places. In the Kinasa region, locally made dried vegetables are also sold through farmers' markets and online shopping platforms.

RECIPE

Ingredients

  • Dried Pumpkin 50g
  • Toasted Perilla Seeds (egoma) 10g
  • Sugar A little
  • Salt a little

How to cook

  • 1. Toast the perilla seeds (egoma) lightly, just until fragrant.

  • 2. Place them in a mortar, and after roughly grinding about half, blow gently to remove the thin husk.

  • 3. Continue grinding thoroughly, warm slightly with lukewarm water, and season with sugar and salt.

  • 4. Mix the boiled and washed pumpkin with the mixture from step 3.

provider : "Kinasa Food Culture Chronicle Compilation Committee, 'Furusato INKT.'"

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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